Vote Results #2

Another vote result from August 1st to the 16th.

"Which country is going ahead with environmental technology?"

Out of the 16 voters, 9 voted for Japan.
5 for Germany and 2 for Holland.
Sorry for the US, 0 voted.

Again only 16 people, it is a very small figure but it is interesting how many think Japan have the highest environmental technology. Compared to environmental policy, it seems that people are recognizing Japan as a country with technology.
We posted 10 Japanese companies with eco-friendly technology and techniques in the past 9 days. The companies are small, but they all have a strong will and high mastership. If you are looking for business seeds in Japan, they might be where you want to start networking!

Why Inflation is Minimum in Japan

Chuo Nippo, a Korean Internet Newssite based in Seoul reported an article about a central bank report comparing Japanese and Korean environmental policies of the past 30 years.
According to Chuo Nippo, Japan has been constantly putting effort on increasing energy efficiency and developing alternate fuel after the oil shock, or in other words tackling the issue by quality. As a result Japanese industries are less dependent on fossil energy. While Korea has been setting laws to decrease the amount of energy consumption such as driving regulation and switch-off campaigns, a quantity approach.
The two policies resulted in the difference of recent price raise due to rising oil price. Korea is experiencing rapid inflation by over 10%, while Japan was able to push down the rate to a few percent.
This is an encouraging insight for Japanese industry and the following policies aiming for a low carbon society.

[Biz Seed] Styrofoam Waste Volume Reduction

Wada Research Institution
Volume Reduction Agent of Styrofoam for Effective Recycle



Easy to Take out Raw Material for Recycle…and Reusable itself!
Styrofoam is a foamed state of polystyrene. 98% is air, and the 2% left is the raw material*. It takes much space for after-disposal transportation resulting in wasteful emission, and existing heat dissolution degrades the material for recycling and raises common nuisance. Agent “UNITY Ⅲ” dissolves Styrofoam without degradation, leaving a lump of high quality polystyrene floating in the liquid. It is easy to distill compared to usual agents which can only dissolve polystyrene to scatter within liquid. UNITY Ⅲ can be used repeatedly, assures quality for recycling, and has less impact on environment compared to heat application. Usually styrofoam waste is carried by large trucks because of its bulky nature. This technology will enable waste reduction and CO2 emission reduction too.

Wada Research Institution also holds technology to make fossil fuel out of plastic waste. Combination of the two technologies will be effective for waste issues.

*Depending on material. Boxes seen at fish markets are foamed by 50 times, and smaller trays for supermarkets are foamed by 30 times.

Looking for business investors.
If you are interested in developing machine to utilize UNITY Ⅲ, please contact info@ecotwaza.com

[Biz Seed] Wool Brand from Hokkaido

In Natural Co., ltd
YUUYOO (WOOL & HOUSE WARE BRAND)

Organic Wool and House Ware Brand from Hokkaido
YUUYOO is a new house ware brand based in Hokkaido, the north island of Japan. In effort to reuse the wasted wool of sheeps for food, they launched this brand after two years preparation. The sheep are carefully and organicly nurtured, one type served as main dish at Toyhako Summit. Whole production process of wool is nature friendly using no chemicals. Experience the shiny texture and relaxing design lighnup for autumn fashion.


Looking for export partner.
Organic wool clothes, skin care goods, tea and bath oil made of organic herbs original to Hokkaido.

YUUYOO (悠揚) means spacious or relaxed in Japanese, the exact word to express both the splendid nature of the northern island and the loose taste of the brand.
Hokkaido born designer, Chinatsu Kato designed the clothes.







Made of organic herbs original to Hokkaido.

[Biz Seeds] Underwater Filming in the Yaeyama Islands

Kyo-Pro Co., ltd.
Underwater Filming and Photographing


Explore the beautiful underwater scenery of Yaeyama Islands*
Unlike large shooting productions, Kyo-pro will go under water with minimum crew and equipment so as not to disturb the coral and fish. Based in Ishigaki Island, their strong commitment to quality lets them wait for days until the best weather and sunlight. They know how important it is to maintain the beautiful coral reefs, not just for the sake of nature but for their living, a common Japanese way of perceiving live-and-let-live. Explore the beauty of Yaeyama Islands through their films.
*Yaeyama Islands are tropical islands located in the south of Okinawa.



DVD of the Yaeyama Islands. Part of sales will be used for environment restoration of Ishigaki Island. (3,000yen)

Looking for business partners for online film distribution
Distribution of ready-made films online are welcome. Also contact us about on-demand film production.
info@ecotwaza.com

Kyo-pro website
http://www.kyo-pro.co.jp/
only in Japanese, but no need for words...

Come experience Ishigaki yourself!　
www.edo-dive.com (only in Japanese)


　

[Biz Seed] Japanese Herbal Treatments

HERBAL PHARMACY MUTSUGORO
WAKAMPO (JAPANESE HERBAL TREATMENTS)


Live in Harmony with your Mind, Body and Nature
MUTSUGORO will prepare original herb medicine just for you after a 30 minutes interview with pharmacist. The spirit of WAKAMPO (Japanese herbal medicine) is to regain natural order through total coordination of lifestyle, eating habit and excretion of extra water and fat. Although the root is Chinese medicine, Japanese medicine advanced differently, valuing observation of customer than theory. Living in harmony with your mind and body is the base of sustainability. Visit their pharmacy and experience the cure for yourself.

Interested in starting up a Wakampo pharmacy? Start out by working at MUTSUGORO as an assistant therapist internship. Looking for a long term business partner who is interested in becoming a pharmatician in own country.
Contact info@ecotwaza.com

[Biz Seed] Natural Wooden Furniture

NATURAL FURNITURE NISHIOKA
WOODEN FURNITURE

Made to Last
The biggest reason of modern environmental issues is mass consumption and mass disposal. As a furniture shop, NISHIOKA stands against this topic. Good furniture should be strong enough to be used for centuries, made of natural materials, and repairable. They supply furniture made of selected fine Japanese wood, painted with oil or Japanese lacquer*, all handmade by craftsmen with old techniques of Japanese building. We see many foreigners visiting their antenna shop, attracted to the beauty of Japanese wood and lacquer. The furniture are said to last for several hundred years, so how about shopping for your grand-grand children?


*"Japanese Lacquer" is a viscous liquid that exudes from under the bark of the lacquer tree. Said to be antibacterial, used to coat various things from buildings to pottery and utensils.

Looking for export partners.
Contact info@ecotwaza.com

[Biz Seed] UMEZUMI Crepe Paper

Sanyo Paper Co., ltd.
UMEZUMI (PLUM SEED CHARCOAL) CREPE PAPER

100% Natural & Recycled
Charcoal is frequently used in Japan for deodorization, mildew proofing, moisture prevention and absorption of hormone-disrupting chemicals. SANYO applied this popular wisdom to make a crepe paper using recycled pulp, local plum seeds and water. 100% natural and recycled ingredients. Plum seeds were regionally specific industrial disposals, and UMEZUMI was a great way of decreasing this waste too. Instead of spraying chemicals, spread this paper in your house and in your country to share the wisdom of old Japan.

UMEBOSHI is salted and dried pickles of Japanese apricot (UME). Very sour but healthy. The plum seeds are taken from UMEBOSHI.

Some Examples of use...
*towel set with UMEZUMI paper for a present
*Sew inside a shoe bag : passed out to participants at Toyako G8 Summit
*Original crepe paper: spread inside your shoebox, basement, kitchen, closet etc…

Looking for export partners.
Contact info@ecotwaza.com

vote for our website!

[Biz Seed] Eco Bag of Japanese NOBORI

ADditional
ADditional Eco Bag


Recycle to Go
ADditional is an eco-design brand of Kayoko Yonaga. Her vision is to spread the concept of “fashionably reusing waste” through the production and sales of eco-bags made of disused NOBORIs. NOBORI is a Japanese flag you can sight outside shops for sales promotion. Most are disposed after the promotion period, becoming a large amount of waste. Each bag is hand made using different NOBORI Kayoko collected herself, not one with the same design. A part of sales will be donated to waste related projects. Enjoy the colorful NOBORI and contribute to waste reduction.

Looking for export partners.
Contact info@ad2bag.com

[Biz Seed] Mineral Ion Sterilizer

Japan Ion Co., ltd.
ION CLEANER (SILVER ION STERILIZER)

Clean, Safe & Pollution-free Water
Did you know that mineral ion melted in water is effective for sterilization, deodorizing and algal removal? When used for water sterilization, silver ion (Ag+) has smaller effect on environment compared to chlorine. Since silver is mineral, It will not contaminate groundwater, and is also safe for our skin and body. Ask NIHON ION for consultation on pollution-free sterilization of pools, spas, ponds and factory tanks. They have in depth knowledge on creating safe and natural water condition, based on their 50 years experience in maintaining various ONSEN hot spring water throughout Japan.

ONSEN are usually located in mountains, and owners are conscious about the environment. NIHON ION plays a significant role in keeping harmony with nearby nature.


Another example of their creativity. Using solar electricity, ION CLEANER will remove algal effectively.

Looking for business partners for implementing ION CLEANER overseas. Contact us if you are interested in business solutions of spas, swimming pool and other water sanitary.
Contact: info@ecotwaza.com

[Biz Seed] Wooden Wall Paper

Frontier Japan Co., ltd
NATURAL VENEER FOR WALLPAPER



This veneer is so thin that you can use it as wallpaper, even on the corners of your pillar!
It is made of water based resin and sliced natural wood so it doesn’t include VOC (volatile organic compound). It is better for health than usual wallpaper made of fossil material and solvent resin. Process flow is mostly manual, resulting in the high quality and minimum effect on environment.


Located in Kohchi prefecture, which is famous for it s beautiful cypress, the workshop will produce the beautiful wallpaper in harmony with nearby forests. It can be used not only as wallpaper but also for lighting interior, furniture or even stationary.

Frontier Japan is looking for business partners for export.
Contact: info@ecotwaza.com

picture is Yasuo Nukaga, CEO


Frontier Japan Website
(only in Japanese)
http://www.eco-pro.ne.jp/

SETSUYAKU

SETSUYAKU(節約) is to economize, to save by lessening something. It usually represents saving "money" in particular.

How to Use
John "I am walking to the station everyday instead of using the bus to SETSUYAKU the bus fare"
Ray "Don't be so cheap!"
John "Why not? Setsuyaku is virtue. The 200 yen will make more than 60 thousand yen in a year. I would rather walk for my health and go on a vacation using the money I SETSUYAKU."

Issues
SETSUYAKU is usually associated with housewives (=women) in Japan, which is a common gender bias. SETSUYAKU can be done by both genders and by people of all occupations.

Which way to flush?

If you have a chance to go to the bathroom in Japan, check out the flush button or handle. You will notice two Japanese characters written on it like the picture. "大(Dai)" means big, and "小(Sho)" means small. Well I guess you can imagine what each word is representing... this is one Japanese way of saving water for flushing. Depending on which way you turn the handle (or button), the amount of water for flushing differs. It might not be a big saving, but whatever small a change makes a change!

The Spirit of MIKOSHI

Mikoshi is a beautiful miniature shrine carried by strong men at traditional festivals. We visited MIYAMOTO UNOSUKE SHOTEN to see how ecological philosophy was reflected on this craftwork.


Since its establishment in 1861 during the EDO period, Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten has always been the partner of Japanese Festivals. Mikoshi is made by natural materials (wood, lacquer and gold coating) and once made, lasts for generations.

Wood for the main structure will be air-dried for three years, and cracked ones will be used for smaller parts, leaving only a small amount of waste.
The craftsmen express this as "let the wood wriggle as much as it wants to". Even if you use technology to dry the wood without cracking, it will crack anyway in the following years. Then why not let it do so in the beginning?

The building process takes about a year. No nails are used for the main structure, just like old architecture. Instead of chemical paint, they glue in colored linen cloth using URUSHI (lacquer made from plants) to express the shiny colors.


Mikoshi will be overhauled every 30 years reusing over 90% original material. It is an amazing sight how they dissolve and rebuild the wooden pieces.
The high quality craftsmanship makes us think twice about mass production and mass disposal.


Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten Website
(only in Japanese. Shop is at Asakusa.)
http://www.miyamoto-unosuke.co.jp/

Welcome to Kunitachi

Our office is in Kunitachi, a small town in the western suburbs of Tokyo. It is a quit residencial / education area. Hitotsubashi University and Toho High School are on the main street (picture). Small shops are always busy with neigbors and visitors from nearby towns.
Access to Kunitachi station will be by the CHUO Line, about 40 minutes from Shinjuku. It is on the way to Mt. Takao and Yamanashi, so if you have a chance of passing by, take thirty minutes and visit our town!

Bon-Odori Festival

There was a Bon-Odori Festival near my parents' place. An American friend, Lyn, my father, his friend and I went to enjoy the RYO of the summer festival. We all wore YUKATA.
Lyn enjoyed dancing in the circle with our neighbors!

Picture of us in a replica room of public bath of the 60s.

OBON

OBON (or BON) is a Japanese traditional custom to greet back the spirit of ancestors. It is celebrated around the 13th to the 16th of August. (Depending on area, but the 15th is always included.)

Family members gather and prepare for ancestors to come home.
On the first day of OBON, after placing food and flower on family Bhudist alter, we burn hemp stems to create MUKAEBI (welcome fire) so the spirits know which house to go in.
A cucumber and an eggplant poked with small wooden sticks like four legs will be placed nearby. The cucumber is supposed to be a horse so the spirit can come fast, and the eggplant is a cow so he/she can go home relaxed.
On the last day of OBON, we burn hemp stems again at the same spot so our ancestors can go back to their places with the smoke. This is called OKURIBI (farewell fire).

OBON is an important custom to appreciate ancestors for giving us life, and to gather with family members. It is an ironic coincidence that today, August 15th, is also the last day of the second World War. We shall be grateful for our ancestors and for the peace we are able to enjoy today.

Summer garden

This is a picture of our office garden. We have pine (MATSU), Japanese apricot (UME), persimmon (KAKI), hydrangea (AJISAI) and other plants. Many birds come singing. You can enjoy beautiful apricot blossoms in early spring. The garden cools down the heat with dark green leaves in summer. Now autumn is coming, and we are looking forward to the persimmon fruits. They were nice and tasty last year, we hope it will come out good again this year...

My HASHI (my chopsticks)

HASHI, meaning chopsticks, is our common utensil. It is originally made of wood or plastic to be used many times, but many restaurants were serving "disposable chopsticks" to lessen their costs for washing. (Just like plastic forks and knives) Also the 24 hour stores gave out "disposable chopsticks" to increase customer satisfaction. Disposable chopsticks are called WARIBASHI, meaning "splitting HASHI" because it is made of a piece of wood with a cut-in so can easily be split in two before using. As you know, HASHI is two sticks.

So here comes the My-HASHI movement. People started to bring their own HASHI to restaurants so they don't have to use the WARIBASHIs. It started a few years ago, and the past two years, it has been a big movement.

WARIBASHI itself is not necessarily bad for the environment. Many Japanese producers make WARIBASHI from leftover wood within Japan, which is good because it vitalizes forestry and growth of trees. As you know, 40% of Japanese forests needs maintainance by people to grow properly, and for this to work, timber must be used at a adequate price. So WARIBASHI made of Japanese wood, or more better by thinned wood is contributing to the health of forests in a way.

However, cheep WARIBASHI (which is the majority) is made in other Asian countries, particulary in China. These are likely to be made of destructive lumbering. It is also said to be bad for your health since bleach is used for whitening and disinfection. So the My-HASHI movement is good for lessening this kind of disposal chopsticks.

Thinking ecology could be a change in your mindset about a small effort. Instead of using something just once and throwing it away, use a better thing many times. What is so wrong about taking just a few seconds to wash your chopsticks?

So if you noticed that there are too much plastic forks around you, how about starting your own movement of "My-FORK" or "My-SPOON"?

left WARIBASHI (disposable), right normal HASHI (chopsticks). I carry it in the small cloth bag.

↓Here is an interesting HASHI to carry...
read about KATTOBASHI

Enjoy RYO

RYO means "coolness" in Japanese.
We use this word to express objects or happenings that bring coolness to our five senses.
A cool breeze will be RYO, and the sound of glass wind chime will be RYO as well. The sight of girls in YUKATA around sunset, or the sound and sight of clear water stream could be RYO. Sharbets and cool tea is of course RYO. Telling eachother scary stories will be RYO too, because it makes us feel the chill. We feel coolness not just by temperature but by using other senses. The KANJI is "涼".
Japanese people used to cope with hot summer by feeling RYO using all five senses instead of just turning on the air conditioner.

The picture is a FUURIN (風鈴), a Japanese glass wind bell. The Japanese character for FUU is wind, and RIN is bell. (When separately used, wind is pronounced KAZE and bell is pronounced SUZU.)

Interview with Gianfranco Scimone

Vol.3 of Ecotwaza Times is coming up in September. We are honered to have Mr. Gianfranco Scimone grace our cover.
Gian is a fashion designer, location planner and a professional model for many Japanese magazines.
We had a significant interview on Sunday, talked about what we lost over the last century, and what we can do to make a better future. Gianfranco has been the observer of Japan for the past thirty years, and he says it was much cleaner before. It is sad just to hear about lost landscape and beautiful nature. And yet there still must be something we can do. We must expand our sense of responsibility in such a globalized world with so many chemicals, plastics and pollution that nature cannot digest anymore. RESPECT and HUMBLENESS were the two keywords Gian concluded.
The interview article will be in the next Ecotwaza Times.

Gianfranco Scimone websites
http://dp33048999.lolipop.jp/
http://www2.gol.com/users/lastrada/index.html

TOMBO

TOMBO is the Japanese word for Dragonfly.
Other names for TOMBO in Japanese will be AKIDU or KAGERO.

AKIDU is an ancient word for TOMBO, and it is also the old way of expressing JAPAN. The reason is said to be that an ancient emperor looked at Japan from the height and said that it is a round country just like two mating dragonflys.

蜻蛉 (sorry for those who aren't able to see Japanese characters)will be the KANJI for TOMBO. We also read this KAGERO.
KANJIs are unique, because you can read it in many ways, and one character can be a combination of two or more characters. In this case, you will notice that both KANJIs include a 虫 on the left side. This means "Insect". The right side of both KANJIs are different letters, but they both mean "Sound".

TOMBO patterns are frequently used in KIMONOs and OBI*s. The picture above is an OBI. You will notice that many patterns of KIMONOs are inspired by living things, plants and natural landscape. Dragonfly designs were popular among BUSHI (or SAMURAI), because dragonfly only flies forward and never fly backward. This is expressed ISAGIYOI （潔い）, meaning graceful.

*OBI is a waist tie for kimonos. OBIs could be very expensive too. Coordination of KIMONO and OBI is as important as the KIMONO itself. Btw, I have a feeling that Obi-wan of Starwars comes from OBI, since it is a famous story that the outfit design in the movie series were inspired by KIMONOs. AMIDARA, the name of the princess, is a Bhudist God too...May the force be with you!

FUJIYAMA Scavenge

Planning to visit Mt. Fuji?
How about joining a scavenge tour at the foot of Fujiyama?

The event is coordinated by a Japanese NPO, Good Day.
The members are mostly under 30, a young and active organization.
2008 will be their 7th Scavenge Tour.

When?
August 30th - 31st

How much?
12,000 yen/person
student discount 7,500 yen/person
transportation, accomodation, 3 meals, carbon offset, and insurance included.
(lunch for first day and alcohol not included)

Where?
At Fuji Kawaguchi-ko-shi
meet at Shinjuku station West exit at 8am August 30th.
Transportation will be by bus.

What to bring?
lunch for first day, small bag for trash, gloves, raincoat, MY HASHI (your own chopsticks), extra clothes, bath goods, drinking flask

How to participate?
Contact NPO GoodDay Tour Team　E-Mail: gdtour@goodday2u.org

some staffs can speak English.
210000 people climb Fujiyama a year (2005), and 30% are said to be foreigners. 63000 people! wow! Trash around Mt. Fuji, the symbol of Japan, is an issue. How sad. If you are living in Japan, and looking for a place to go for the weekend, this can be the place!
45 people (mostly young business people) will be participating, and i'm pretty sure you will enjoy their company.

website of Good Day (only in Japanese...)
http://www.goodday2u.org/

Vote Result

Did you notice the voting board on the right side of this blog?
The theme was;
"Which country has the most eco-friendly policy?"
The choices were USA, Germany, Holland and Japan.
(taken between July 14 to July 31, 2008)

10 people voted during the period, and 7 voted for Germany, 3 for Holland.
Too bad for the US and Japan...

Well, only 10 people, but this might be reflecting the global view. I have a feeling that Japan is not branded as "the most" eco-friendly, but also not "the least" either. Will write about our policies sometime. Tokyo is making some vigorous environmental laws these days, and I believe it will be one of the strictest among major cities.

Join our next vote →
"which country is going ahead with environmental technology?"

Natural Furniture Nishioka

The biggest reason of modern environmental issues is mass consumption and mass disposal. Nishioka, as a furniture shop stands against this topic.

Located at Asakusa, Mr. and Mrs. Nishioka have a strong opinion about furniture.
Good furniture should be strong enough to be used for centuries, made of natural materials, and repairable. They supply furniture made of selected fine Japanese wood, painted with oil or Japanese lacquer*, all handmade by craftsmen with old techniques of Japanese building. Even after years, they will credit repairment.

We see many foreigners visiting Nishioka, attracted to the beauty of Japanese wood and lacquer. The small shop creates an at-home atmosphere, and even though the shop owners don't speak English, I'm sure you will be able to enjoy your shopping. The furniture are said to last for several hundred years, so how about shopping for your grand-grand children?


*"Japanese Lacquer" is a viscous liquid that exudes from under the bark of the lacquer tree. Said to be antibacterial, used to coat various things from buildings to pottery and utincils.

NATURAL FURNITURE NISHIOKA
website http://www.asakusa-kagu.jp/ (partly in English)
Festa-Hanakawado#101, 1-15-1, Hanakawado, Taito, Tokyo, 111-0033, JAPAN

Also looking for foreign business partners.
If interested, contact info@ecotwaza.com or +81-42-573-5613 (Ecotwaza)

Uchimizu (Splashing water for coolness)

UCHIMIZU is a Japanese custom reviving these days because of Global boiling. (remember, worse than "warming"!)

UCHI means to hit or splash, and MIZU means water.
UCHIMIZU is to splash water on the street.

Originally, people sprinkled water on the dirt street in front of their houses to calm down the dust. It also played a role in cooling down the heat in summer. Water removes heat from the street when evaporating. The best time to sprinkle water is in the morning and around sunset. It could backfire sensible temperature if you do this midday, because too rapid evaporation rises humidity.

It used to be a common scene to see old women doing UCHIMIZU, but nowadays it is rare, probably because most streets are paved. However these days UCHIMIZU is revaluated as a eco-friendly custom in Tokyo. The heat island phenomenon is harsh, and UCHIMIZU is a small scaled but effective way of calming down city heat. The UCHIMIZU movement in Akihabara was closed up last summer.

UCHIMIZU is a Japanese custom, but it will be effective to cool down stone paved streets of Europe, or asphalt streets of USA too. It is better to use a bucket and ladle (usually made of wood in Japan) instead of hoses, to sprinkle apt amount of water.

SEKKA (Japanese pottery select shop)

Looking for souvenir?
Japanese pottery of SEKKA can be an option.

WASHOKU (Japanese cuisine) is said to be "good for tasting and for watching". The dishes play a big role in the whole eating process. It is fancy to enjoy different dishes and table settings according to the four seasons. Good dishes are made of natural material such as mud and stone, and repairable.

SEKKA will be hosting a table coordination workshop by Yasue Kunieda, a famous ambassador of traditional Japanese fine art on October 1st.
She will be giving you tips for autumn table settings.
The workshop will be in japanese, but if there are many participants who can't speak Japanese, we may be able to help out. if you are more than two people, contact info@ecotwaza.com

Table coordination Workshop: October 1st, 15:00~17:00
@Aoyama Cafe Un Reve (near SEKKA)
7,000 yen per person
contact: info@sekka-jp.com

Even if you can't make it to the workshop, the shop itself is a place you don't want to miss out. Enjoy the colorful potteries!


SEKKA Website(partly in English)
http://www.sekka-jp.com/
2-13-3 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku
03-5775-7550

Also looking for foreign business partners. Contact info@ecotwaza.com or +81-42-573-5613 (Ecotwaza)

Global Boiling

Our office is an old Japanese house in the suburbs of Tokyo.

NO AIR CONDITIONERS.
The house didn't have an air conditioner, and we procrastinated to install one.
And since summer came, we decided to experience global warming ourselves.
Afterall, it is very difficult to seriously think about the issue when you are comfortably working in an air-conditioned office. (Sometimes even freezing in the middle of summer)

And our conclusion is;
THIS IS GLOBAL BOILING, NOT WARMING!

Temprature rises up to near 35C (95F) everyday, which used to be unusual up till a few years ago. According to Chunichi Newspaper, the average temperature of Tokyo is rising at a surprising rate of 3C per century, the fastest among largest cities of the world. Japan experienced a warm year 2007, 0.68C higher than annual average. It could be worse this year...

How to Fight Back Mosquitos

Mosquitos are the feature of Japanese summer.
If you want to live a comfortable summer, combatting mosquitos is one big issue.
So here are some Japanese tips so you don't have to use unhealthy insecticide.

1.Don't let them come near you
Use a KAYA. KAYA is a large net like a tent that you can put up in your room so that mosquitos don't come in. It is good when going to bed, or when your children are playing indoors. Japanese houses used to be open so the wind blows through, and mosquitos were flying everywhere. KAYA used to be an essencial goods up till the 60s, and although they were replaced by screan windows, many people are revaluing the usefulness.
It will be useful in areas where houses don't have screan windows for economic reasons or low building technology.

2.Instead of insecticide...
Use a KAYOKE-SENKO, or a mosquito stick. There are many types, and those called KATORI-SENKO are usually made of Allethrin, a strong chemical component. KAYOKE-SENKO is most likely made of natural ingredients taken from pyrethrum (or insect flower) so better for your health.

3. When you are bit
The best way to forget the itch is to wash the bite with soap and water! Mosquito saliva is acid, and the alkali of soaps neutralize it. Seriously, it cures the bite instantly!

Please tell us if you know any other eco-friendly ways of combating mosquitos.

BOOK 246

Book 246 is a select-shop type of bookstore in Aoyama.
They sell english and japanese books related to "traveling", but cover a wide range from psychology to architecture. The shop itself is very stylish, but it could be interesting to meet the shop manager Yusuke. He sure knows alot about rare books. He studied Japanese NOH in university, in particular a famous and unique play of "Adachigahara". It is a beautiful and sad play that expresses the negative energy of ancient noble women.

If you have a chance of visiting "Books 246", look for Yusaku...
But be careful, he won't talk English right away! Start the conversation like this
"Ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te" (Good to see you), "NOH ni tsu-i-te o-shi-e-te-ku-da-sa-i" (please tell me about NOH).
Don't forget, it could be rude to start talking English in a foreign country! Always start in the native language, and then ask if they can speak English.

BOOKS & TRAVEL
BOOK246
http://www.246cafe-book.com/
(mostly Japanese but the map and titles are in English)
*Ecotwaza Times will be available in Book 246 from September

Japanese NOH

Japanese "NOH" is a traditional theatrical art.
It is said to have started in the 7th or 8th century, during the Heian Period.
Unlike Kabuki, NOH was originally fostered by Shoguns and powerful temples, resulting in a more royal taste. Alike Kabuki, the beauty of NOH is its simplicity and form. It is usually an improvisation of three characters with masks and a music team. The plays are usually based on the same storyline.

First half: The sub actor meets the main character.
The sub is a human being, and the main character is a non-human.
Intermission: This is called KYOGEN, an individual play itself.
It is supposed to be a funny interval in between a serious story.
Latter half: The main character expresses himself by song and dance.

According to what the non-human main character is, NO can be categorized into five. The five are 1.God or spirit, 2.Warrior, 3.Woman, 4.Everything outside 1/2/3/5, 5.Demon (ONI).

It is interesting how Japanese culture is attracted to the beauty of "negative". The word to express the beauty of NOH is "YUGEN", and we write "YU" using the same character as ghost, and "GEN", black. Ghost and black! How negative, but beautiful. The world is not a dichotomy of good and evil, but we all have both sides within one. YIN and Yan is the base of Asian culture...and when we think about environmental issues it is important to realize how all of us have good and evil effects on the world. Explore the world of NOH and see how human beings are interrelated with non-humans, and how human and non-humans are existing next to each other. We won't even think of destoying nature if we knew that a spirit is living in the tree. The way we see the world is based on how we put it to words or art expressions. Please tell me if you know any art that is similar to NOH's way of viewing the world!